Due to their success this season, Liverpool’s fixture schedule has been adjusted and the timing of their shock clash with Manchester City has caught the eye.
Liverpool’s progress this season is remarkable. They managed to add a place in the EFL Cup final where they face Chelsea at Wembley at the end of the month in each competition. But success means they have a very busy schedule ahead of them, with quick response times, long commutes and short recovery times.
Jurgen Klopp must complete six games in 30 days across three competitions between February 10 and March 2 before the Europa League resumes. However, three matches have been rescheduled, including the match against Manchester City at Anfield on March 10, which was scheduled for 3.45pm on Sunday.
Sunday matches are normally played at 1.30pm, 2.30pm or 4.30pm but this was changed due to fan safety and Merseyside Police insisting on an earlier kick-off due to problems with previous matches. In another change, the Merseyside derby against Everton will now kick off at 2pm on March 17. This means the race will now run alongside the St Patrick’s Day celebrations and the Liverpool Half Marathon, which takes place on a busy day for the city.
However, the fixture could still be moved if the team win their fifth FA Cup tie against the winner of Southampton and Watford tonight.
Liverpool are scheduled to play Brighton on March 31 after a two-week international break, with the match kicking off at 2pm. The Merseyside derby could be moved again if Liverpool reach the Europa League semi-finals, which could see the derby end in the middle of a fortnight.
One of them is the final week of the season, with both clubs currently competing for results. There are currently just nine weeks between the derby (March 17) and the end of the league season on May 19, with two of those weeks played during the March international break and four weeks played in the Europa League in the middle of the next six weeks.
The quarter-finals and subsequent semi-finals mean Liverpool have just one week left in midweek until the end of April and the final week of the season to break into the top four.
